Peristaltic pumps are in widespread use throughout the medical field. In controlling the speed of a peristaltic pump to achieve a given fluid flow rate, a pump calibration factor is usually applied. The calibration factor quantifies the fluid volume that is displaced by one revolution of the pump.
The calibration factor takes into account the physical characteristics of the pump and associated tubing. Pressure present at the inlet of the pump also affects pump performance. The inlet pressure can range from a negative to a positive number and significantly alter the ratio of fluid volume per pump revolution to a greater extent than other variables affecting pump performance. Maintaining accuracy over a wide range of inlet pressures is a worthy objective, but one that has proven difficult to achieve in a practical manner.